I’ve always known that anthropology projects depend on the help of local people. What is becoming very clear on this short field trip is that artistic projects equally depend on the talents and kindness of others. Our first full day ‘on the ground’ (or up in the air) was spent catching up with and getting input from some key people. We started at the local branch of the community college. The director Ken is a life long resident of the NWT and has been the source of countless conversations that have shaped how I think and write. When we conceived of the project, we asked Ken to be a community collaborator as I knew I would be soliciting his input regularly. As the former mayor, he always knows who is who and what is where. Ken trained in anthropology at Princeton and is always keen to humour side conversations on Levi Strauss.

The community learning centre is a three room building that has held the smell of new industrial carpet for all of the ten years I have been stopping in, occasionally teaching. I’m used to seeing the college in the winter when people’s ‘outdoor shoes’ are piled up in the entryway. School is just about out and warm weather has dried up all the mud so you can wear just one pair of shoes. Ken is helping us get an NWT research license. The territory has a system in place for communities to review research projects to give more local control to what kinds of work gets done on Aboriginal territory. Hay River requires the signatures of three governing bodies, K’atl’odeeche First Nation, West Point First Nation and the town of Hay River. While on maps these are spatially distinct spaces (K’atl’odeeche is on the east bank of the river, West point is on the West Channel and the town is up river on the west bank), there are different kinds of mobility between, across and through these political territories. Most medical care, shopping and other services are concentrated in town. The ways in which different people move between and relate to this spatial organization (largely a result of planning n the 1960s) is what we are interested in. We made good progress on reaching the right people. The bureaucratic form is less effective than using the old fashioned telephone and going to the band offices.

Jesse had some tech issues that required local help as well. Jared Monkman, a local photographer, has signed on to help us with our fussy camera installation over the course of the year. This winter Jesse and Tori came up to set up a two week test shoot and met Jared then. I’ve followed Jared visually, via Facebook, and have seen his photography change and grow over the five past years. It is very good stuff! We are going to be hatching some more experiments with him later this week. The other life line we have here is Craig, local tech expert, owner of Superior Sound, and video-making enthusiast. His shop keeps a full range of equipment that we use and he has been great at getting us whatever bits and bobs Jesse needs to put his gear together.

Inspector Casey Clouseau and Henri Loup last year at the lagoon beach

We wound down in the evening at my favourite spots in the region, ‘lagoon beach’. There isn’t a lagoon, so I am not sure what that refers to, but essentially it is the beach that isn’t designated as “public” with a playground and other  accoutrement. S and I used to call it “plage sauvage” (wild beach) because it is covered in drift wood. I think it may be my favourite place in the world.